The Yu
The Yu is a bowl whose top edges are somewhat curled inward.
The shape itself is called Yu, which is actually the name of the water-holder used in Chinese caligraphy.
The purpose of the shape of the Yu is to contain water in order to serve the ink stick which,
when mixed with water, controls the quality of the ink.
The ink itself is made of ash, which is an earth element.
When we discuss an individual's Qi (chi), the earth element represents kindness and generosity.
If one has a lot of earth element, they are always giving and kind
and if they have very little earth element Qi, the person is selfish and self centered, not very kind.
Because the Yu is used to balance the quality of ink,
it follows that the intention here is to adjust one's quality of earth Qi
so that it is balanced through a special empowerment involving the Yu.
Copyright ©1997 by Edgar Sung, all rights reserved.
